


In War, Peace

by eerian_sadow



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen, Gestalt fic, TF Gift Exchange, giftfic, unloved characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-28
Updated: 2013-06-28
Packaged: 2017-12-16 09:52:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/860787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything Long Haul know about being a POW is turned sideways after a stay in First Aid's medbay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In War, Peace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ayngelcat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayngelcat/gifts).



> written for the 2013 Transformers gift exchange on Dreamwidth.

It was Hot Spot who found him and First Aid who decided they were bringing him home. It was Blades who carried him, Streetwise who distracted the humans from noticing and Groove who explained everything to Optimus. It was the Protectobots who fepaired him and fueled him.

But it was Long Haul who woke confused and alone.

He failed along the Gestalt link, fighting down panic at his restraints and his unfamiliar surroundings. In return, he received anger (expected), outrage (also expected), comfort (Scavenger was too sweet for the Decepticons, really) and a very large dose of fear. The last feeling confused him--Autobots didn't execute prisoners unless they had no other choice.

His team's fear left him with a sick feeling in his fuel tank.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Long Haul?"

The Constructicon was rather pleased that he managed to suppress an involuntary flinch when the medic said his name. It was stupid to be afraid of a pacifist and more stupid to show fear in the enemy base.

Long Haul turned his head toward the smaller mech slowly. "What."

"Oh good, you are awake." First Aid nodded in a way that was probably approving. "I'm sorry about the restraints. Optimus Prime allowed us to care for you, but only if we followed the same procedures used in Ratchet's medbay. I'm afraid I can't let you loose now, either."

The Protectobot actually sounded upset by the idea, even though it would have been too dumb for Menasaur to let him run free in their base. "And?"

"Oh! Um, I need to scan your vital systems to be sure the replacement parts haven't been rejected by your self repair." Clearly, the kid wasn't used to dealing with prisoners. "And then it's time for your energon, so that the parts continue to integrete properly."

Parts integration? That sounded... bad. "Wait a klik. Just how badly was I hurt?"

"Long Haul, you nearly died. Your spark guttered twice while I was replacing your fuel processing systems and again when I began repairing the damage to your laser core housing." Frag. No wonder the others had been scared. "I don't know how you even survived long enough for our patrol to find you."

The Construction nodded, suddenly numb. He'd almost died out there, just because he refused to be Motormaster's supply hauler. The Stunticons would pay for this.

"Long Haul, what happened to you?"

"Motormaster doesn't like to be told no."

"Oh." The medic gave him another look, possibly sympathy this time--this newspark was harder to read than any of his brothers, and got to wok o his scans. Long Haul was grateful for his silence.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

He liked the quiet when the medic was gone. The other Protectobots didn't come in and harass hi--though he did catch the rotory staring at him from the doorway once. He had space to try and contact his brothers in privacy.

it let him think. and wonder why Megatron hadn't negotiated his release yet.

he tried very hard not to think that it was because Megatron really did value the Stunticons over the Constructicons.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Long Haul, you have a visitor."

The constructicon looked at the leader of the Protectobots like Hot Spot had grown a second head. "Prisoners of war don't get visitors."

"Not normally, no, but since your circumstance is abnormal, we're bending the rules a little." the blue mech shrugged. "Besides, I don't think anyone could turn down Scavennger nice he starts in on the cute routine."

"Not even Bonecrusher," the green and purple mech replied. "Guess you better send him in, since he came all this way."

Hot Spot nodded and released enough of Long Haul's restraints to let him sit up. Scavenger's squeak of joy at seeing him almost made up for being cooped up in the Protectobot base for days.

He even welcomed it when the younger Constructicon flew into his arms and clung to him as if his life depended on it. He would never admit it, but he had missed Scav the most.

Too bad he couldn't do anything about it. Not with all five Orotectobots watching from the doorway. Long Haul settled for overly enthusuastic cuddling and gentle hums of reassurance instead.

There would be plenty of time for interfacing after they had put Mtoraster back in his place.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Your spark is much more stable since Scavenger's visit," First Aid told him. "I'm glad Hot Spot allowed him to see you. your spark needed the closeness of at least one Gestalt mate for optimal recovery. I just wish he could have stayed."

"Why? so you can have another prisoner?" Long Haul knew he sounded angry and bitter--and frag it, he was! he hadn't even been asked his opinion about being brought back to the Protectobot base, tied to a berth and kept indefinitely. That they repaired him, fueled him and continued to care for him as his spark strengthened was irrelevant. He wasn't free!

"No," the medic said softly, in the same tone the Constructicon had heard him use on Blades when the rotory was being particularly confrontational. "So that you will keep healing. I don't dare send you back in your current state after what you told me. Motormaster will almost certainly finish what he started."

"Yeah." Long Haul turned away from the younger mech, not wanting to look at that too-compassionate face when he knew the kid was right. "Scav shouldn't be here though. He needs freedom, like those Dinobots of yours need to break things."

"All right." First Aid nodded as if he had been expecting this answer. "It's time for your energon and supplements."

Long Haul sighed. He hated this time of day, no matter which medic was helping him. Having his fuel and supplements injected was uncomfortable at best and was downright painful if he needed heavy metals. Not for the first time, he wished his team had possessed the credits to fully repair him after his accident.

Instead, he was left with half a face and an energon conversion system that was inaccessable except by direct injection.

He slid his injection port open without any further prompting while First Aid measured out the dose. The Protectobot wouldn't hurt him, he knew, but it never paid to irritate the medic working on you.

"How much longer do I have to stay?" The Construction finally asked.

The medic paused. "Three, perhaps four more days. Your spark is still unstable and I want to give it the best chance I can for it to regain its strength."

"That's it?" Three or four days was doable, but it seemed like an impossible answer.

"That's it. For all the tactical advantage it might give the Autobots to keep you here, it would be unspeakably cruel." With steady hands, First Aid lined up the syringe and injected the energon and supplement mixture into the larger mech's lines. "Once I'm certain that you are in no danger of it guttering out the moment you exert yourself, I will release you to your own medic's care."

"Oh." He wanted to say more, but it was hard to think with the supplements burning through lines that were never meant to carry such high concentrations of metals and minerals.

"It was never our intention to keep you beyond that. Repairing you was always our only priority."

"War doesn't work that way."

"For me it does." He patted Long Haul's shoulder reassuringly and settled in to wait for the fuel and supplements to settle.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"All right, Long Haul. Let's see how you do under psysical strain."

The Construction looked at the medic quizzically. "In case you forgot, I'm tied to the berth."

"And soon you will be untied." First Aid deactivated the restraints and gestured for the green mech to sit up. "We're going to head down to the training room, where we will test your spark's responses under normal activity conditions."

"Any combat trials? Cause I gotta tell you, that rotory has it coming."

"I'm afraid," The was clear amusement in the Protectobot's voice, "That you must stand in line for the privilege of beating my brother up. He's exceptionally good at making friends."

For a long moment Long Haul stared at the smaller mech, not sure how to take the joke. Then he laughed, because First Aid was giggling too. "Bonecrusher's the same way. Guess every team's got one, huh?"

"So it seems. Come on, off for your tests so we can get you home."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Long Haul surveyed the testing room unenthusiastically. the floor was littered with debris in various sizes and weights, all of it looking like it had come from a demolition site and was just waiting for the dump truck to come and carry it all away. He knew that First Aid had said they would test his ability to do normal things, but he hadn't thought he was being put back to work.

he must have made an unhappy sound, because the medic put a comforting hand on his arm. "I know it looks like a lot, but we wanted to be prepared for high tolerance levels, since you do the majority of your team's heavy lifting. You don't have to carry it all, or even pick it all up. The Dinobots made the mess and they'll clean it after we're through."

Long Haul stared at the kid for a long moment. How he had known exactly what the Constructicon had been thinking escaped him, but he was grateful for First Aid's perceptiveness. Out numbered, out gunned and not fully repared--he would have just given in and done what they wanted rather than risk being their prisoner forever.

Long Haul wanted to go home as much as First Aid seemed to want to send him.

"Okay," the Construction agreed. "Sure. Be silly to undo your hard work, right?"

"Precisely."

"So, what first?"

"Simple endurance tests. Distance walking, running and transformation exercises first, then lifting, carrying and throwing." First Aid shrugged. "You'll probably be terribly bored, unless you're less recovered than I think you are."

Long Haul nodded. He was in better shape after a week of First Aid's care than he had ever been after two weeks with any of the Decepticon medics--and those were a hundred times better than the free clinics or the shady back alley repair bots they'd made do with before the team became respected in the construction community. Right now, he felt like he could do anything, even go toe to toe with Motormaster again.

"Right. Let's get started then."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

As it turned out, he couldn't lift. Or carry. Or drag. He couldn't even put enough weight in his bed to tote a cassetteobot around the training room before his spark began fluxuating dangerously. For the near future, it seemed like Long Haul wouldn't be doing anything more strenous than relaying messages and fetching the occasional energon cube.

"It figures," the Construction complained as First Aid helped him settle back into his medical berth. "I'm only good for carrying things and now I can't even do that."

"You'll be back to your old self in no time." The medic patted his arm consolingly. "Your spark's recovery rate will increase several times once you're back with your gestalt. It's been significantly imared, staying cooped up here while your physical repairs were integrating."

Long Haul grunted noncomittally.

"You will get better, Long Haul. I haven't lied to you yet have I?"

"No," the Decepticon replied sullenly.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Long Haul was surprised when, only another day later, First Aid removed his restraints and pressed a data pad into his hands. "What's going on?"

"Optimus Prime has arranged a prisoner transfer." The medic looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "It's not how I wanted to send you back at all, but Prowl believes this is the safest way to return you."

"Maybe." The Construction looked down at the data pad. "What's this?"

"Instructions for your continued care and some suggestions on how to increase your endurance. I thought they would be helpful for you and your medic."

"Hook will think you're saying he's not capable." Long Haul was struck with the sudden feeling that he was going to miss the Protectobot. "But thanks."

"You're welcome." First Aid stepped away from the berth so that the Construction could stand. "Come on. Prime's waiting for us."

"And so is Megatron." 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Megatron glared at him from across the lawn that surrounded the Protectobot's headquarters. Long Haul did his best not to flinch and kept his posture as straight as he could. He was glad that First Aid had turned him over to Prime immediately upon leaving his room; he didn't want any of the kid's well meaning sympathy to make him look any weaker than he already did.

It was bad enough that his whole team was there and Scavenger was fidgiting with anxiety.

 

"Megatron,we've kept our end of the deal." Optimus Prime's voice was stern. "Where are the Autobot prisoners."

"They're here, Prime." Megatron gestured Skywarp and Thundercracker forward with a pair of green and blue minibots. "I trust my Constructicon is in pristine condition."

"Long Haul is in better condition than he arrived in." Scavenger squeaked at Optimus' words. The rest of the Gestalt quieted him quickly.

The Decepticon leader gave the Constructicons a dark look before continuing. "Then send him over. Your minibots will be returned after Hook has assessed his condition."

"Not a chance, Megatron." Prime sounded angry and Long Haul was gkad it wasn't directed at him. "We send them across at the same time, or the exchange is off."

Megatron laughed. "So noble, Prime. Very well, have it your way. We will simply destroy you later."

"In your dreams, Megatron." Prime gestured Long Haul to the front of the Autobot group. "On three."

The Decepticon leader smirked. "One."

"Two." Long Haul was suddenly nervous as Optimus counted. What if Megatron was truly angry with him? There would be no Protectobot patrol to find his body this time.

"Three." 

The minibots were shoved forward as Long Haul stepped toward his team. Even if Megatron were furious, there was no turning back now. The minibots broke into a run as the Constructicon strode forward, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. His teammates pulled him into a hug that was full of entirely too many arms and hands and Scavenger's tail as he crossed onto the Decepticons' side of the lawn.

Megatron could shoot him now, but Long Haul wouldn't care. He felt better in this moment than he had in all the days spent with the Protectobots.

"All right, Megatron. Long Haul is reunited with his team." The Prime's voice ruined the Constructicons happy mood.

"And you have your scholar and her bodyguard back." The Decepticon leader's tone indicted that he thought he had gotten the better end of the deal. "Decepticons, return to base!"

"Don't worry," Scavenger whispered to Long Haul as they prepared to leap into the air. "This time we'll carry you."


End file.
